Betty Sue Creech Elementary School located at 5905 S. Mason Road, Katy required major renovations after it took on between 2-4 feet of water during Hurricane Harvey and will reopen to students Aug. 15.Rebecca Hennes/Community Impact Newspaper

"They [the students] lost their homes, and they lost their school. So, doing whatever we could to help our families was the biggest challenge," Creech Elementary Principal Euberta Lucas said.
Rebecca Hennes/Community Impact Newspaper

The school features an updated security vestibule that requires parents and visitors to go through three sets of doors to enter the main building.Rebecca Hennes/Community Impact Newspaper

A new security policy requires all parents and visitors to show proof of ID upon entrance into the school.Rebecca Hennes/Community Impact Newspaper

Lucas said the front entrance space mural was repainted by the original muralist.entrancemural

Photos of the damage the school sustained after the storm are displayed at the front entrance of the building.Rebecca Hennes/Community Impact Newspaper

A typewriter from the school's namesake, Betty Sue Creech, was salvaged after the storm.Rebecca Hennes/Community Impact Newspaper

Creech Elementary serves students in grades Pre-K-5. The projected enrollment for the 2018-19 school year is 775, Lucas said.Rebecca Hennes/Community Impact Newspaper

New additions include classroom windows that allow for more lighting.Rebecca Hennes/Community Impact Newspaper

The windows are capable of closing in the case of a lockdown, Lucas said.Rebecca Hennes/Community Impact Newspaper

The windows are capable of closing in the case of a lockdown, Lucas said.Rebecca Hennes/Community Impact Newspaper

In the past, Lucas said two grade levels would share one bathroom. Now each grade level has it own restroom.Rebecca Hennes/Community Impact Newspaper

The school has one art teacher and classroom. Rebecca Hennes/Community Impact Newspaper

The school has one art teacher and classroom. Rebecca Hennes/Community Impact Newspaper

Portions of a mural in the library were salvaged thanks to cinderblock walls. Lucas said the library had water up to the first bookshelf. Rebecca Hennes/Community Impact Newspaper

At the UH Cinco Ranch building that housed the students, Lucas said the school only had 12 lunch tables to sit students at. The new cafeteria has 28, she said. Rebecca Hennes/Community Impact Newspaper

Lucas said roughly 75-80 percent of the student body was displaced after the storm. Rebecca Hennes/Community Impact Newspaper

The teacher's lounge includes several donated tables Lucas said other staff members worked to get donated to the school.Rebecca Hennes/Community Impact Newspaper

Amy Campbell Elementary School will open Aug. 15 with a projected enrollment of 819 students.Rebecca Hennes/Community Impact Newspaper

Principal Jaime Shipley said the school is focused on creating a culture of collaborative learning, communication between kids and promoting kindness.Rebecca Hennes/Community Impact Newspaper

The school's namesake, Amy Campbell, served in the district for 34 years and was one of the founding members of the Arc of Katy, a nonprofit special needs organization, Shipley said.Rebecca Hennes/Community Impact Newspaper

The school features open floor plans with hardwood flooring.Rebecca Hennes/Community Impact Newspaper

The "learning staircase" is a collaborative space for students and overlooks the library. Rebecca Hennes/Community Impact Newspaper

The new school features collaborative classroom spaces, open floor plans, large windows with natural lighting, updated classroom technology such as smart boards and unique seating options. Rebecca Hennes/Community Impact Newspaper

Students also have the option to sit outside of classrooms to conduct work during test times.Rebecca Hennes/Community Impact Newspaper

Many of the classrooms feature windows that offer more light.Rebecca Hennes/Community Impact Newspaper

The school's library includes a "maker space" where students can create and work on projects.Rebecca Hennes/Community Impact Newspaper

The school's library includes a "maker space" where students can create and work on projects.Rebecca Hennes/Community Impact Newspaper

The school cost about $30 million to build, KISD officials said, and will serve the communities of Cross Creek Ranch and Churchill Farms. Pictured here is the school cafeteria.Rebecca Hennes/Community Impact Newspaper

Katy ISD will welcome nearly 80,000 students for the 2018-19 school year and debut two schools—Betty Sue Creech Elementary School and Amy Campbell Elementary School.

While Creech Elementary is not a brand-new school, Principal Euberta Lucas said it will feel like that to students. The 105,000-square-foot campus required major renovations after it took on between 2-4 feet of water during Hurricane Harvey, and the $7 million in renovations have transformed the campus.

Renovations included new hardwood floors in the main hallways, LED lighting and updated technology throughout the school. Some of the school’s iconic space murals were also repainted, and windows were built into classroom walls to provide more lighting.

The start of the new school year also marks the opening of KISD’s newest campus, Amy Campbell Elementary School at 3701 Cross Creek Bend Lane, Fulshear. The school cost about $30 million to build, KISD officials said, and will serve the communities of Cross Creek Ranch and Churchill Farms.

The new school features collaborative classroom spaces, open floor plans, large windows with natural lighting updated classroom technology such as smart boards and unique seating options.

Take a look at the newly renovated Creech Elementary School and brand new Campbell Elementary School in the photo galleries above.